Class: 5 More Doctor Who Spin-Offs We Need To See

The launch of online spin-off Class, following a group of schoolkids in the iconic Coal Hill School that has been a part of Doctor Who since its pilot, could mean a new beginning for the franchise. If it is successful, there's no doubt the BBC will want to make the most of the audience's love for Doctor Who spin-offs. But this isn't the first time that's happened.

Doctor Who pulled an 'Avengers' in the same year that Iron Man was released: after 2 years of its spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, the series 4 finale 'The Stolen Earth/ Journey's End' brought all three universes together in an incredibly satisfying, organic way to fight Davros and the Daleks.

And then in 2011, Torchwood petered off with Miracle Day, whilst Elisabeth Sladen's untimely passing put an end to The Sarah Jane Adventures. Thus ended an extended universe that still had so much potential, both shows cut off in their prime.

The Doctor Who universe hosts a huge array of beloved characters, or brand-new ones could easily be introduced to audiences. There's so much that potential spin-offs could explore; literally all of time and space.

The cries for a show featuring The Paternoster Gang seem to have died down, which is probably for the best. They work within Doctor Who, but might not be able to sustain a regular, full-length show by themselves. But the demand for one demonstrates that a spin-off set in the past, with a character previously introduced in the main show, would make sense in a time slot previously filled with Robin Hood, Merlin or Atlantis.

The Doctor has visited so much of world history, and any period holds potential for an entire series: a sword-and-sandals swashbuckler, a dark Victorian mystery, even a show set in the swinging sixties. And best of all, there is no need to obsess over continuity, and tying everything to the main show. The Doctor can only visit a time period so often in all his travels.

Historical spin-offs in Big Finish have proved to be popular, as demonstrated by the beloved bickering duo Jago and Litefoot, a bombastic theater owner and despairing professor respectively. They previously appeared in 1977's classic Tom Baker adventure The Talons of Weng-Chiang, and were even considered for their own television spin-off at the time due to their popularity. So this is clearly something that has been considered before.